Belo Mansion was abuzz last Thursday morning as Aberg Center took center stage for its 8th annual Legacy of Literacy breakfast. This breakfast celebrates the hard work and determination of the many individuals that contribute their time and money to the continued growth and success of Aberg Center. This year is especially significant as we celebrate our 15th year of service in the DFW area.

Anna de Haro, Public Affairs Director at iHeartMedia, graciously hosted the breakfast and Victoria Neave, attorney and Texas State Representative, was the keynoter speaker. Todd Williams, a longtime public education advocate in the Dallas area, received the Aberg Literacy Advocate Award and we also recognized past board presidents Charles Aberg, Becky Clontz, Janet Schoenecker, Holly Greef, and Mary Carter for their years of service and leadership to Aberg Center.

Our student speakers were uniquely effective as they spoke about the direct impact the programs at Aberg Center have had on their lives. Curtis Major spoke about his struggles to finish his education after many setbacks and how he is now closer than ever to becoming a high school graduate. Student speaker, Marta Velazquez, expressed her gratitude to Aberg Center for helping in her pursuit to one day become a school teacher and for allowing her to play a more active role in the education of her children.

Celebrations of dedicated service and stories of resilience and determination made for an interesting start to the day. Aberg Center also started a matching funds challenge following the breakfast to help us continue our mission of building richer lives, stronger families, and better communities. We want to thank our co-chairs, sponsors, donors, host committee, board members, staff and volunteers for making the 2017 Legacy of Literacy breakfast a smashing success!

About Matching Funds Challenge:

The Aberg Center has a generous commitment of $12,000 in matching funds, and you can help turn it into $24,000. For every donation up to $12,000 that the Aberg Center receives by Friday, November 3rd, gifts will be matched dollar for dollar! Click the button below to support adult and family literacy programs that build richer lives, stronger families, and better communities.

On Friday, October 14th the Dallas Bar Association presented Aberg Center for Literacy with the prestigious Jack Lowe Sr. Award for Community Leadership during their Education Symposium at the Belo Mansion.

Members of Aberg Center's Staff, Board of Directors, and Advocate Council were on hand to accept the award from Dallas Bar Association President Jerry Alexander (pictured: far left).

The award honors Jack Lowe Sr., founder of TDIndustries and former Salesmanship Club President who served as chairman of the Multiracial Dallas Alliance Education Task Force in the 1970s and led the fight to desegregate Dallas schools.

"We are tremendously honored to receive this award," said Aberg Center Executive Director Shana Harrison, "and to be in such prestigious company with those who have won this award in the past."

"We believe that the fight to advance literacy in Dallas is at the core of overcoming such issues as poverty and racial inequality, issues Mr. Jack Lowe Sr. fought passionately against. We would like to thank the Dallas Bar Association and President Jerry Alexander for their advocacy of Aberg Center for Literacy and their support for equality in education here in North Texas."

The event featured a number of speakers and panels, including a discussion with DISD SuperintendentDr. Michael Hinojosa, the Keynote speaker at Aberg Center's Legacy of Literacy Breakfast on October 27th.